Quick, tasty, protein-rich and super fresh Vegan Asparagus Pasta. Simple to prepare, ready in under 20 minutes and great served either hot or cold.
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The easiest Vegan Asparagus Pasta. We're talking squishy pasta and tender asparagus tossed in a creamy, silky lemony, mustardy sauce.
Is it good hot? Is it good cold? Is it good as an entree or a side? The answer is Y-E-S! And it gets bonus points for being ready in just a little over the time it takes the pasta to boil.
And yes, the sauce is made with tofu, which means it's rich in protein and low in fat. Just like in my Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe, it works really well to create a smooth, creamy, super silky, dairy-free sauce. It also means that we don't have to use cashews to make the cream sauce, which saves us some dollars!
Serve this pasta dish either hot or cool like a pasta salad. I love to top mine with some red pepper flakes and vegan parmesan cheese.
Mel x
No Asparagus?
If you like the look of this recipe but don't have any asparagus, it works really well with green beans, chopped kale, or broccoli. You will just need to adjust their cooking time in the pasta water. Kale would be about the same as asparagus, green beans about 4 minutes, and broccoli 5 or 6 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
It really doesn't matter too much with this recipe. Any variety such as penne, rigatoni, rotini and even fettuccine or spaghetti work really well.
You could use 1 clove of fresh garlic instead of the powder. However, I prefer to use powder in this recipe because the sauce isn't really cooked. It's just warmed gently when tossed through the hot pasta. Using garlic powder means the garlic flavour won't be too harsh.
When preparing asparagus you only need to remove the slightly tough, woody end. The easiest way to do this is to hold the asparagus at the cut end and gently bend the other end. It will naturally break at the right place. This short video from Jamie Oliver demonstrates this really well.
Recipe
Vegan Asparagus Pasta
Author:Ingredients
- 16 oz (453 grams) pasta , (gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 bunch (about 16oz (453 grams) fresh asparagus , trimmed & cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 lemon , juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup , or 2 teaspoons white/cane sugar
- 12 oz (340 grams) silken tofu or soft tofu
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes , use less if you're not a spicy fan
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard , add to taste or you can omit if you don't like mustard
- ½ cup (120 mls) dairy-free milk , unsweetened and unflavoured
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet.
- While the pasta is cooking add all of the other ingredients (except the asparagus) to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the asparagus pieces to the boiling pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
- Reserve about half a mug of the starchy pasta water. Just dip the mug into the boiling pasta water and scoop it out. Set aside for now.
- Use a colander to drain the pasta and asparagus. Return to the pan. (If serving the pasta cold, rinse it in cold water and shake off any excess to stop it from continuing to cook before you return it to the pan).
- If serving hot, place over a low heat. If serving cold there's no need. Then pour the sauce over the pasta and asparagus and toss together well until warmed through. If you need to loosen the sauce a little, add a few drops of the reserved pasta water.
NOTES
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Krista Bowers says
I can't have soy. What could I use instead of the tofu?
Melanie McDonald says
I haven't tested this recipe with anything other than tofu.
Lisa says
!!!WoW!!!
Fresh, light and all the flavours of summer.
Thank you VV for the recipe xo
Cheryl says
O my! This is SO SUPER delicious - fresh & tangy tasting (and quick & easy). I prepared the sauce first in my blender...then went on to cook the pasta & asparagus together as instructed and in no time at all it was on the table. The lemon zest & juice combined with the asparagus, etc are just the perfect combination for a fantastic summer meal. Thank you Mel for another winning recipe :-)
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Cheryl. Thanks for coming back to leave a review!
Kathy Ingallinera says
Does it matter what type of silken tofu one uses? Firm, extra firm, etc. Thanks (I am making it tonight with extra firm which is what I have.)
Melanie McDonald says
Not really. I tend to use soft or medium though as they blend that little bit easier. Just don't use regular not silken tofu.
Patrick says
This was delicious and so quick and easy! Will definitely make again!
Karen says
This is so good hot or cold. Great recipe!
Katie says
I love your recipe so much! Really delicious!
Dawn says
Always love a pasta dish and this one didn't disappoint!
Renee Coles says
This was delicious! My omnivore husband also said it was great. Next time we're going to add some sun dried tomatoes as well. This one is going into the rotation. Great job!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for stopping by to let me know!
Mikie says
I just made this for me and my mum and it was a total winner. Absolutely delicious. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
P.S also added some Nutritional Yeast and used cashew nuts instead of Tofu.
Carolyn Nowling-Archer says
This is absolutely DELICIOUS! I do learn to use what I have on hand so this is what I did. Used some leftover cashew cream and added miso instead of mustard. Also added 2Tblsp of nutritional yeast.
I could eat the entire thing myself! But I am trying to be kind and save some for hubby who has been working hard carrying block all day at work.
THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER!